They reduce climate change. Coastal wetlands such as mangroves and saltmarsh absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than any other ecosystem, and they do so 50x faster than forests! These carbon stores are so valuable in the fight against climate change that they've got their own name - 'blue carbon'. Up to quarter of the world's organic carbon is held as 'blue carbon', within these ecosystems.

They protect us from climate impacts. Not only do they reduce climate change, but coastal wetlands also protect us from its' impacts. They stabilise our shorelines and absorb wave energy, reducing erosion and shielding coastal communities from destructive seas. They also protect us from storms, preventing an average of $200 million of property damage with every storm that hits Australia's coast. With erosion and extreme weather projected to worsen with climate change, conserving and restoring coastal wetlands is crucial to keeping coastal communities safe.

They are hotspots for biodiversity and threatened species. These incredible ecosystems are among the most biodiverse on Earth, supporting countless plants and animals found nowhere else. They are a critical refuge for species threatened with extinction, from migratory birds that travel 25,000km to secure a spot at their favorite salt marsh, to plant species unique to a single wetland. Without the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, we risk losing countless, incredible species to permanent extinction.

They purify our water, power Australia's seafood industry, support regional economies through tourism and recreation, and are important for First Nations communities maintaining their cultural connections to Country.

Where land meets the sea, life is at its' most spectacular. Given all they do for us, we must do better to restore and protect our coastal wetlands.

Wetlands have also been at the forefront of the conservation movement – the 1971 Ramsar Convention was the first international treaty aimed at conserving nature.

Ramsar-listed wetlands are now the largest network of protected areas in the world. The treaty covers 2,400 protected locations, encompassing 2.5 million square kilometres across 172 different signatory countries.

Australia played a leading role, as one of the seven founding Ramsar signatories and the first country to designate a Ramsar protected wetland.

The 67 Ramsar sites that cover 8.3 million hectares of Country are subject to some of the strictest federal legal protections in Australia. These areas provide havens and breeding grounds for countless plants and animals, including the 2 million migratory birds that journey from Alaska and Siberia every year to nest and feed. Despite this, many still face a litany of threats, which you can read more about here.